North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways

North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways
Map of the NWNGRs
Locale	Wales
Dates of operation	1877–1916
Successor	Welsh Highland Railway
Track gauge	1 ft 11 ¹⁄₂ in (597 mm)
Length	12 ¹⁄₂ miles (20.1 km)

The North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways (Moel Tryfan Undertaking) (to give it its full name) was a 1 ft 11 ¹⁄₂ in (597 mm) narrow gauge railway running from Dinas to Bryngwyn, Wales, which was authorised by Act of Parliament 1872. The same act authorised a branch from Tryfan Junction to South Snowdon. Subsequently the railway chose to regard the line from Tryfan Junction to Bryngwyn as the branch.

Route built

Although, as originally planned (1872), the line to Bryngwyn was the nominated main line, very early on a decision was made for the South Snowdon line to become the main line. By the time commercial operations started, it had been reclassified a branch

Main line: Dinas - Tryfan Junction - Waunfawr - Bettws Garmon - Snowdon Ranger - South Snowdon/Rhyd Ddu (approx. 9 miles).

Branch line: Tryfan Junction - Rhostryfan - Bryngwyn (approx. 2 miles). From Bryngwyn, an incline (owned by the railway company) led (via quarry owned lines) to a number of slate quarries around Moel Tryfan mountain.

Routes planned

The line from Dinas to Rhyd Ddu was built and operated, but this was just a small part of the grand scheme for a network of narrow gauge railways spanning much of north Wales. An Act of Parliament in 1885 authorised an extension northwards to Caernarfon and a Light Railway Order of 1900 authorised an extension southwards to Beddgelert.

A further part of the scheme was the North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways (General Undertaking) which planned a route from Porthmadog to Beddgelert, where it would meet the Rhyd Ddu-Beddgelert extension. From there the line would travel via Capel Curig to Betws-y-Coed. A further branch would have extended the line from Betws y Coed to Cerrig-y-Drudion where the railway would meet the planned Ruthin and Cerrig-y-Drudion Railway.

The General Undertaking was authorised by Act of Parliament in 1872 but officially abandoned in 1876. The section from Porthmadog to Beddgelert was eventually completed by the Welsh Highland Railway as part of its construction, and utilised parts of the Croesor Tramway and the aborted Portmadoc, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway (PBSSR) works.

South Snowdon

There are two locations which have been called South Snowdon. One is Rhyd Ddu and the other is the South Snowdon Quarry in the Nant Gwynant Pass and this was the original intended destination of the Portmadoc, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway. That company later applied for and received a light railway order to build from Beddgelert to Rhyd Ddu and commenced construction on that section around 1906.

History

Opened from Dinas to Tryfan Junction and Bryngwyn 1877 to Snowdon Ranger in 1878 and to South Snowdon (Rhyd Ddu) in 1881. Closed to passenger traffic in 1916. Goods service continued running on an 'as required' basis until about 1922 when the railway became part of the Welsh Highland Railway (additional Welsh Highland trackage from Rhyd Ddu to Porthmadog opened in 1923).

Locomotives

Name	Builder	Type	Date	Works number	Notes
Snowdon Ranger	Vulcan Foundry	0-6-4T	1875	739	Single Fairlie locomotive. Scrapped 1917; major components used to repair Moel Tryfan
Moel Tryfan	Vulcan Foundry	0-6-4T	1875	738	Single Fairlie locomotive. Transferred to the Welsh Highland Railway in 1922; scrapped by the Ffestiniog Railway in 1954
Beddgelert	Hunslet	0-6-4ST	1878	206	Mainly worked the Bryngwyn branch. Scrapped 1906
Russell	Hunslet	2-6-2T	1906	901	Ordered by the Portmadoc, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway, paid for by the North Wales Power & Traction Co Ltd, for the NWNGR and became part of the Welsh Highland Railway stock
Gowrie	Hunslet	0-6-4T	1908	979	Single Fairlie locomotive; sold around 1915 for contractor work; scrapped after 1928
Palmerston	George England	0-4-0ST	1867		Loaned by the Ffestiniog Railway between May 1876 and July 1877 to assist in the construction of the NWNGR.^[1]

References

↑ Quine, Dan (2013). The George England locomotives of the Ffestiniog Railway. London: Flexiscale.

Festiniog and associated railways

Current operators	Ffestiniog Railway Welsh Highland Railway Welsh Highland Heritage Railway

Rolling stock	Ffestiniog Railway Welsh Highland Railway Welsh Highland Heritage Railway

Stations and halts	Ffestiniog Railway Welsh Highland Railway

Support groups	Ffestiniog Railway Society Festiniog Railway Heritage Group Welsh Highland Railway Society Welsh Highland Railway Heritage Group

Other articles	Festiniog Railway Letter Service Welsh Highland Railway restoration

Welsh Highland Railway

Main articles	Welsh Highland Railway Restoration

Forerunners	North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways Portmadoc, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway Croesor Tramway

Locations	Caernarfon Bontnewydd Dinas Waunfawr Plas-y-Nant Snowdon Ranger Rhyd Ddu Meillionen Beddgelert Nantmor Pont Croesor Pen-y-Mount Porthmadog cross town link Porthmadog Harbour Gelert's Farm halt Gelert's Farm Works Porthmadog

Preservation	Welsh Highland Railway Limited Festiniog Railway Company

Rolling stock	Russell Moel Tryfan Welsh Highland Heritage Railway Welsh Highland Railway (Caernarfon)

Historic Welsh railway companies

Great Western Railway	Aberdare Railway Aberdare Valley Railway Aberystwyth and Welsh Coast Railway Bala and Dolgelly Railway Bala and Festiniog Railway Barry Dock and Railway Barry Railway Blaenavon Tramroad Brecon and Merthyr Tydfil Junction Brecon and Merthyr Railway Bridgend Bristol and South Wales Union Railway Burry Port and Gwendraeth Valley Railway Cambrian Railways Cardiff Railway Cardiff and Ogmore Carmarthen and Cardigan Carmarthenshire Railway Clarbeston Road and Letterston Railway Coleford, Monmouth, Usk and Pontypool Railway Corris Railway Corwen and Bala Railway Denbigh, Ruthin and Corwen Railway Ely and Clydach Valleys Railway Ely Valley Railway Ely Valley Extension Railway Gwendraeth Valleys Railway Hereford, Hay and Brecon Railway Kington Tramway Lampeter, Aberayron and New Quay Light Railway Llancaiach Branch Llanelly and Mynydd Mawr Railway Llanidloes and Newtown Railway Llangollen and Corwen Railway Llangurig branch Llantrisant and Taff Vale Junction Railway Llynvi and Ogmore Railway Maerdy Branch Manchester and Milford Railway Mawddwy Railway Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway Mid-Wales Railway Monmouth and Hereford Railway Monmouthshire Railway and Canal Company Narberth Road and Maenclochog Railway Neath and Brecon Railway Newport, Abergavenny and Hereford Railway Newtown and Machynlleth Railway North Pembrokeshire and Fishguard Railway North Wales Mineral Railway Oswestry, Ellesmere and Whitchurch Railway Oswestry and Newtown Railway Pembroke and Tenby Railway Pontypool, Caerleon and Newport Railway Pontypridd, Caerphilly and Newport Railway Port Talbot Railway Rhondda and Swansea Bay Railway Rhymney Railway Rumney Railway Ross and Monmouth Railway Shrewsbury and Chester Railway Shrewsbury, Oswestry and Chester Junction Railway South Wales Railway Taff Vale Railway Tanat Valley Light Railway Vale of Glamorgan Railway Vale of Llangollen Railway Vale of Neath Railway Vale of Rheidol Railway Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway West Midland Railway Whitland and Cardigan Railway Wye Valley Railway Wrexham and Ellesmere Railway

London and North Western Railway	Anglesey Central Railway Bangor and Carnarvon Brynmawr and Blaenavon Railway Carnarvon and Llanberis Railway Carnarvonshire Railway Central Wales Railway Central Wales Extension Railway Chester and Holyhead Railway Chester & Connah's Quay Railway Conway and Llanrwst Railway Knighton Railway Llanelly Railway Red Wharf Bay Sirhowy Railway Swansea and Carmarthen Railway Central Wales and Carmarthen Junction Railway Vale of Clwyd Railway

Joint lines	Brynmawr and Western Valleys Railway Nantybwch and Rhymney Railway Quaker’s Yard and Merthyr Railway Taff Bargoed Railway Buckley Railway North Wales and Liverpool Railway Shrewsbury and Hereford Railway Shrewsbury and Welshpool Railway Vale of Towy Railway Wrexham, Mold and Connah's Quay Railway Wrexham and Minera Railway

Independent lines	Corris, Machynlleth and River Dovey Tramroad Fairbourne Railway Ffestiniog Railway Festiniog and Blaenau Railway Glyn Valley Tramway Hay Railway Kinmel Camp Railway Mold and Denbigh Junction Railway North Wales Narrow Gauge Railways Portmadoc, Beddgelert and South Snowdon Railway Potteries, Shrewsbury & North Wales Railway Plynlimon and Hafan Tramway Pwllheli and Llanbedrog Tramway Ruthin and Cerrig-y-Drudion Railway Shropshire and Montgomeryshire Railway Snowdon Mountain Railway Swansea and Mumbles Railway Talyllyn Railway Van Railway Welsh Highland Railway

Industrial railways	Bailey's Tramroad Beaufort Ironworks Tramway Bryn Oer Tramway Buckley Tramroad Carnarvonshire Slate Quarries Railway Cedryn Quarry Tramway Cowlyd Tramway Crawshay's Private Railway Crickheath Tramway Croesor Tramway Deeside Tramway Dinorwic Railway Dowlais Railway Eigiau Tramway Elan Valley Railway Gorseddau Junction And Portmadoc Railway Gorseddau Tramway Hendre-Ddu Tramway Kerry Tramway Little Ormes Head Quarry tramway Morda Tramway Nantlle Tramway Padarn Railway Penrhyn Quarry Railway Penydarren Tramway Pen-yr-Orsedd Quarry tramways Rhiwbach Tramway Saundersfoot Railway Trefor Quarry railway Tremadoc Tramway

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